Set keyboard Shortcut keys (Mail, home, etc)

media keys on your keyboard can be set using the registry: 

"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AppKey\n\",

where n is key number from:

Button Key number

Back (Internet browser) 1

New 29

Calculator 18

Open 30

Close 31

Paste 38

Copy 36

Print 33

Corrections 45

Raise microphone volume 26

Cut 37

Redo 35

Favorites 6

Refresh (Internet browser) 3

Find 28

Reply 39

Forward (Internet browser) 2

Save 32

Forward (mail) 40

Search 5

Help 27

Send 41

Lower microphone volume 25

Spelling checker 42

Mail 15

Stop (Internet browser) 4

Media Play/Pause 16

Toggle dictation and command/control 43

Mute microphone 24

Toggle microphone 44

Mute volume 8

Undo 34

My Computer 17

WebHome 7 

xxx x 

 Action - Description

 RegisteredApp - Runs an app (Mail starts e-mail)

 Association - File association (http starts the browser) 

 ShellExecute -Run a program 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AppKey\

under the new 5 key.

add a new "String" ShellExecute

add the path to your executable

Find windows install date (10 and 11)

1. press start key
2. type CMD
3. press enter
4. command prompt opens
5. type systeminfo
6. find Original install Date

Fix: Resource Monitor on windows 7 - window opens but is either blank or transparent

1. Go to advanced system settings(Windows+pause)
2. Click advanced system settings
3. Go to advanced tab, then performance settings. 
4. Enable use visual styles on windows and buttons

Windows deleteing SoftwareDistribution folder

1. open command prompt 
2. type net stop wuauserv
3. type rd c:\windows\SoftwareDistribution /s /q
4. type  net start wuauserv

Windows hibernate from command line

 shutdown /h

or with a timer

timeout 10 && shutdown /h

 Allowing Windows Update through Windows 10 Firewall

If your "Outbound Connections that do match a rule are blocked" is enabled / set to Block

AND

Windows Update cries "Error Encountered" "We couldn't connect to the update service. We'll try again later, or you can check now. If it still doesn't work, make sure that you're connected to the internet."

Then you need an outbound connection rule as follows:

Press start key

Type windows defender and open

Click Advanced Settings

Click Outbound Rules

Click New Rule

Click Custom

Click next

Click "This Program Path"

Click Browse

Browse to windows\system32\

select svchost.exe 

click Open

click Customize

click Apply to this servce

scroll down, click Windows Update

click ok 

click next

popup: "Windows Services have been rescricted with rules that allow...."

Click yes

Click Protocol Type

Select TCP

click remote port

select specific ports

type port: 433 

click next

click next

click Allow the connextion

click next

click which ever networks, i just allow Public

click next

Type name: windows update

click finish

You can now use windows update while keeping the outbound connections blocked for the profile.

I had to restart one of my PC's to get this to work for that PC.

remove 'share with skype' from Windows Explorer context menu

Right clicking a file in explorer opens context menu with "Share with skype". This can be removed:

If Skype installed by download

1. Open regedit.
2. Open HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\ShareWithSkype
3. Delete 'ShareWithSkype' folder
4. done.

If Skype was installed from Store

1. Open regedit
2. Open Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\PackagedCom\Package\Microsoft.SkypeApp_15.65.78.0_x86__kzf8qxf38zg5c\Class\{776DBC8D-7347-478C-8D71-791E12EF49D8}

3. Double click DLLPath
4. Put hyphen '-' at start of value.
5. done.